Proposition 12 is scheduled to go into effect in California on January first and will significantly impact how pork producers do business in the region. SDSU Extension Swine Specialist Bob Thaler says Prop 12 basically dictates sows must be not be housed in gestation crates.
Unless the Supreme Court declares the measure unconstitutional, it will have far reaching consequences. Thaler says producers in the region are most likely to be impacted because they are the closest to the California market. Some producers are already adapting their operations but he says it comes at a substantial cost per head.
He says 12-percent of U.S. pork production lands in California and consumers will lose out with high pork prices and some products will not be available.
California is the home to a large population of Asian and Hispanic consumers who may no longer be able to afford to include pork as a protein source for their families.
